Undergraduate Course
The courses listed below meet the Distribution Requirement in the College of Arts & Sciences
Distribution Requirements
- Humanities: Divisional Distribution Requirements:
- List B: Philosophical: 110,111, 117, 118, 241, 242, 243, 244, 245, 246 290, 340, 382,
- List C: Study of the Arts: 350-353
- Upper Level Distribution: U. S. Studies: Philosophy 390, 425
- Upper Level Distribution: Foreign Studies: ( Europe ): 320, 322, 324, 326 – (Asia ): 374, 376, 379
Note: Philosophy 110 and 111 may be taken in either order .
Fall 2008 Courses
110 THE HUMAN CONDITION: VALUE AND REALITY
01 11.10-12.25 TR – INSTRUCTOR
02 5.05-6.20 TR – INSTRUCTOR
03 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS – Same course description for sections 04 thru 11. – This version of The Human Condition: Values and Reality is a broad introduction to philosophy. The course will cover ten different philosophical theories of human nature, in a roughly historical progression. We will consider the conception of humanity expressed by Plato and Aristotle, in Buddhism and Medieval Europe, and by Descartes, Kierkegaard, Darwin, Marx, Freud, and Sartre. We’ll primarily follow the path through this material blazed by Donald Palmer in his book Visions of Human Nature, but will dip into primary source material as time and interest allows. Questions to be considered will include: What does it mean to be human? What is humanity’s place in the world? Why do humans suffer? And, What can humans know? Student assessment will be based mainly upon comprehension of the various ideas covered in class and in readings, as well as the student’s ability to communicate those ideas clearly.
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
04 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
05 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 F
06 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 F
07 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
08 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 F
09 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 F
10 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 F
11 11.15-12.05 MW – RICHARDS
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
12 5.05-6.20 TR – INSTRUCTOR
111 THE HUMAN CONDITION: KNOWLEDGE & REALITY
01 2.10-3.25 TR – INSTRUCTOR
02 3.40-4.55 TR – INSTRUCTOR
03 11.15-12.05 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
04 10.10-11.00 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
117 HONORS: INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY
01 2.10-3.25 TR - NOLT - An introduction to ethics, political philosophy and philosophy of religion through the writings of Plato, Hobbes, Mill, Camus, and either John Robinson or Paul Tillich. Extensive writing instead of exams, discussion rather than lectures.
130 CRITICAL THINKING
An introduction to practical reasoning in natural language, designed to enhance skills in recognizing, analyzing, evaluating and constructing arguments.
01 12.20-1.10 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
241 ENGINEERING ETHICS
01 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER & PIONKE– Same description for all sections. – This course focuses on the profession of engineering, the role of engineers in society, ethical issues that engineers face, and resources (an "ethical toolkit") to address these issues. Class will involve case studies, group projects, reading, and writing reaction papers; topics include international practice, environmental issues, employee loyalties, professional organizations, relations of engineers with other professions and society. No text required - all reading assignments will be made available on the course web site. A General Education "Communicating through Writing" (WC) course, which also satisfies curriculum requirements in most engineering programs. Not only for engineers; students from other majors are welcome.
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 M
02 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 M
03 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 M
04 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 M
05 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 M
06 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 M
07 9.05-9.55 WF – GRABER
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 M
242 CONTEMPORARY MORAL ISSUES
01 2.10-3.25 TR – INSTRUCTOR
02 12.40-1.55 TR – MENDOLA - Issues such as euthanasia, capital punishment, reproductive technologies, sexual ethics, diversity, war, world poverty, employment practices, and the environment, in light of philosophical analysis and ethical theory. Writing-emphasis course.
03 3.40-4.55 TR – KING - In Contemporary Moral Issues we will read and discuss essays dealing with topics like ethical relativism, sexuality, gay marriage, and abortion among other things. These issues will be framed in terms of the main ethical theories available in the Western philosophical tradition, including virtue ethics, deontological, and utilitarian ethics.
04 9.40-10.55 TR – MENDOLA - Issues such as euthanasia, capital punishment, reproductive technologies, sexual ethics, diversity, war, world poverty, employment practices, and the environment, in light of philosophical analysis and ethical theory. Writing-emphasis course.
05 3.40-4.55 TR – INSTRUCTOR
06 11.15-12.05 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
07 5.05-6.20 TR – KING - In Contemporary Moral Issues we will read and discuss essays dealing with topics like ethical relativism, sexuality, gay marriage, and abortion among other things. These issues will be framed in terms of the main ethical theories available in the Western philosophical tradition, including virtue ethics, deontological, and utilitarian ethics.
243 BUSINESS ETHICS All sections have the same course description.
In this course we will assess the proper roles of ethics in business and examine some of the most important ethical issues facing companies, managers, and employees. Readings include philosophical essays and case studies. Specific topics may include the meaning and value of work; employee rights and responsibilities; marketing; the environment; diversity and discrimination; international business and economic globalization.
01 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
02 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 F
03 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 F
04 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
05 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 2.30-3.20 F
06 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 3.35-4.25 F
07 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 F
08 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
09 11.15-12.05 MW - INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
10 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
11 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.20-1.10 F
12 11.15-12.05 MW – INSTRUCTOR
DISCUSSION SECTION 2.30-3.20 F
13 10.10-11.00 MW – WILSON
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 F
14 10.10-11.00 MW – WILSON
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 F
15 10.10-11.00 MW – WILSON
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
16 10.10-11.00 MW – WILSON
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
17 10.10-11.00 MW – WILSON
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 F
18 9.40-10.55 TR – INSTRUCTOR
19 11.10-12.25 TR – KING
20 5.05-6.20 TR – KING
244 PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Critical analysis of selected classic texts from philosophy, religious studies, and social sciences dealing with responsibility and the nature of professionalism. Theoretical principles and analytical skills applied to selected case studies and other detailed descriptions of professional practice from engineering/architecture; business/accounting; and at least one of : law/politics; helping professions (social work, human services, ministry); teaching. Writing-emphasis and an oral comprehensive course. CROSS-LISTED COURSE - same as Religious Studies 244; Legal Studies 244
01 9.40-10.55 TR – WILSON - A general exploration of ethical issues in professional life; practical development of theoretical principles and analytical skills integral to reflective & effective ethical decision-making in professional contexts; application of ethical decision-making skills through examination of case studies & other detailed descriptions of specific professional practices, such as health related professions, legal professions, helping professions (social work, human services, ministry), teaching, journalism, and engineering/architecture, and business/accounting. Writing-emphasis and an oral-comprehensive course.
02 12.40-1.55 TR – WILSON – Same as section 01.
03 9.05-9.55 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
04 11.15-12.05 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
05 12.20-1.10 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
06 2.30-3.20 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
07 9.05-9.55 MWF – INSTRUCTOR
08 5.05-6.20 TR – INSTRUCTOR
09 2.30-3.20 MWF - INSTRUCTOR
245 ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
Issues concerning the nature of the environment and the place of humanity within it. Writing-emphasis course.
01 1.25-2.15 MW – RICHARDS - Current concerns over human impact on the environment has led to a surge of interest in the development of ethical positions that encompass more than the traditional province of ethical theory, direct human-human interaction. The work being done in this area often challenges the traditional ethics and calls for a reexamination of basic issues such as what are rights and what are morally significant beings. This course will survey the recent development of environmental ethics, highlighting the tensions between various approaches. This course will cover ethical debates over economic approaches to the environment, concerns over environmental justice, arguments over our duties to future generations, the relationship between man and nature, and arguments for direct duties to animals, species, and ecosystems. By showing the tensions between these approaches, it will become clearer why debates over how to deal with environmental decisions are often so contentious. This course requires two papers which tie current events to arguments about environmental ethics, four quizzes, a midterm and a final.
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 F
02 1.25-2.15 MW – RICHARDS – Same as section 01
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
03 1.25-2.15 MW – RICHARDS – Same as section 01
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 F
04 1.25-2.15 MW – RICHARDS – Same as section 01
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 F
05 1.25-2.15 MW – RICHARDS – Same as section 01
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
246 BIOETHICS
01 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA – Same description for sections 01-10. - This course is an introduction to ethical issues in health care. We will focus on the differences between science and philosophy, and on the differences between ethics, law, and personal beliefs. We will discuss euthanasia, abortion, mental health/mental illness, the doctor-patient relationship, and many other issues. There will be essay exams, papers, in-class activities, and the opportunity to mix theory and practice by volunteering at a local hospital or school. Students should have -- or be prepared to acquire -- good writing skills and an open mind.
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
02 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 9.05-9.55 F
03 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
04 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 12.20-1.10 F
05 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
06 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 2.30-3.20 F
07 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 F
08 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 1.25-2.15 F
09 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 10.10-11.00 F
10 10.10-11.00 MW – MENDOLA
DISCUSSION SECTION 11.15-12.05 F
11 9.40-10.55 TR – INSTRUCTOR
12 11.10-12.25 TR – INSTRUCTOR
13 9.40-10.55 TR – INSTRUCTOR
14 5.05-6.20 TR – INSTRUCTOR
15 ON LINE CLASS – INSTRUCTOR
300 PROBLEMS OF KNOWLEDGE
01 12.40-1.55 TR – COFFMAN – The theory of knowledge, or Epistemology, is the branch of philosophy focused primarily on the concepts of knowledge and justified (reasonable, rational) belief. Our main aims in this course are to understand and then critically evaluate the main answers to some perennial questions in Epistemology, which include:
- Under what conditions does a person know that a particular claim (statement, proposition) is true? What’s the nature of knowledge?
- Under what conditions is a person justified in holding a particular belief? What’s the nature of justified belief?
- What general structure must a set of justified beliefs have? Could our beliefs have that structure?
- How much do we know or justifiedly believe about the world around us, the “external world” (the world outside our own minds)?
- Under what circumstances can rational (reasonable) people disagree with one another?
Class meetings will be a mixture of lecture and discussion. Texts: Richard Feldman, Epistemology (Prentice Hall, 2003); An online course packet (available through Blackboard). Requirements: Two essay exams; Ten Critical Notes (125-250 words each); A term paper (10-12 pages); Frequent participation in class discussion.
02 9.40-10.55 TR – AQUILA – Schopenhauer and Nietzsche - About half the course will be spent on each philosopher. We will read most of the four main parts (excluding the Appendix, “Critique of Kantian Philosophy”) of vol. 1 of Schopenhauer’s The World as Will and Presentation (Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung: also translated as The World as Will and Idea and …Will and Representation): 1. “Presentation as Subject to the Principle of Sufficient Ground: The Object of Experience and Science”; 2. “The Objectification of Will”; 3. “Presentation Independent of the Principle of Sufficient Ground. The Platonic Idea: The Object of Art”; 4. “With the Achievement of Self-Cognizance, Affirmation and Denial of the Will for Life.” From Nietzsche we will read most of The Birth of Tragedy out of the Spirit of Music; Parts I-III of Thus Spoke Zarathustra; Beyond Good and Evil; selections from On the Genealogy of Morals and Ecce Homo. (All the readings from Nietzsche are contained in two volumes edited and translated by Walter Kaufmann, Basic Writings of Nietzsche and The Portable Nietzsche.) Grade will be based on two exams plus a 2,500 word paper showing close work with the texts, primarily on some issue of clarification or interpretation.
320 ANCIENT WESTERN PHILOSOPHY
01 11.10-12.25 TR – SHAW - This course examines some of the great philosophical writings of ancient Greece, with a primary focus on Plato, Epicureanism, and ancient Skepticism. Our approach will be one of critical interpretation, in which we both try to get clear on what the authors we read are saying and philosophically evaluate their ideas. This term, the course emphasizes questions about pleasure, knowledge, and death.
324 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
01 11.10-12.25 TR – AQUILA - We will read primary sources, with an emphasis on issues involving the concepts of mind and matter, self, and knowledge and certainty. Readings will include Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, and Kant (contained in Modern Philosophy: An Anthology of Primary Sources, ed. Roger Ariew and Eric Watkins). Three exams plus a 3,000 word paper on a topic to be assigned in advance.
328 HONORS 17TH AND 18TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
01 11.10-12.25 TR – AQUILA - Honors version of 324. Students will attend the 324 lectures with a strict attendance policy, take the three exams for that course, and write a paper, or a combination of papers, totaling 4,500 words. (Students should obtain permission from the instructor before registering for this course.)
326 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY PHILOSOPHY
01 12.40-1.55 TR –NOLT – A sampling of the history of philosophy from post-Kantian idealism through phenomenology and existentialism in continental Europe and analytic philosophy in the Anglo-American world. We’ll also consider a few of the many late 20th century trends. Major foci will be Nietzsche, Wittgenstein, Sartre, and Quine. Grades will be based on essay tests and papers.
340 ETHICS
01 2.30-3.20 MWF – GRABER – People disagree not only about what is right and wrong, but also about why certain behavior is right or wrong. In this course, we will study some of the ethical theories that have been most influential in western thought, focusing both on their application to specific decisions and to critical analysis of them as theories. Our authors will include John Stuart Mill, Immanuel Kant, and Aristotle, as well as Soren Kierkegaard, Ayn Rand and contemporary philosophers. A "writing emphasis" course in the Arts & Sciences curriculum. No text required. All reading assignments will be made available on the course Blackboard site.
03 12.40-1.55 TR – SHEPSKI - Philosophers seek to systematize and justify our thinking on a variety of topics, including ethics. After addressing the questions of whether objective truth is possible in ethics and whether ethical truth depends on God's will, this course introduces the ethical systems developed by three major thinkers in the Western philosophical tradition: Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and John Stuart Mill. Through careful examination of primary texts by these and related authors, we will explore three fundamentally different ways of approaching ethical questions. Prior background in ethics is not required, but prior background in philosophy is helpful. A writing-emphasis course.
350 AESTHETICS
01 5.05-6.20 MW – HAMLIN – Our topic is the philosophy of art, so we will read, think, talk, write, and wonder about what art is, where it comes from, what the many forms of it include, what some thoughtful persons have said/written about it, how it is understood/analyzed/interpreted/critiqued, and why art is a particularly interesting subject for philosophy students (including me) to wonder and think about. Included in the course: field trips, a film series, some guest lectures, student presentations, frequent quizzes, two or three tests/papers, a web site for beginning (or continuing) your exploration of the world of art on the web, and maybe other new and interesting things the teacher-artist in AUncle Phil@ learns about/discovers/has revealed to him to try out in this course. For further information contact AUncle Phil@ (806B McClung Tower, 974-7212, phamlin@utk.edu) and/or talk with the many >veterans= of his courses who are still walking around on campus. Texts/topics are still TBA.
374 PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION IN INDIA - (SEE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES)
01 2.30-3.20 MWF – GOODDING
376 BUDDHIST PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION - (SEE DEPARTMENT OF RELIGIOUS STUDIES)
01 9.05-9.55 MWF - SCOTT
390 PHILOSOPHICAL FOUNDATIONS/DEMOCRACY
01 11.10-12.25 TR – REIDY – This is an upper-division philosophy course devoted to a philosophical examination of democracy. Some previous coursework in philosophy is recommended but not required. This course should prove of interest not just to philosophy majors, but to those majoring in political science, legal studies, sociology, economics and history, as well as those interested generally in political philosophy or theory. Citizens, politicians and philosophers have long debated what democracy is, whether it is desirable, and if so why it is desirable In this course we will inquire into what democracy is (its institutions and principles), what we might reasonably expect from it (justice? legitimacy? Mere legitimation?), and whether and why it is morally attractive (because it reveals the 'general will'? because it is 'efficient'? because it respects 'first person authority'?). We will do all this by studying the main competing conceptions, and most important criticisms, of democracy. Because we cannot profitably inquire into what it means to be a good citizen in a democracy without a good understanding of the foregoing, we will not take up the question of democratic civic virtue until the final weeks of the course. Class meetings will be lecture and discussion. Requirements will include exams and essays.
392 PHILOSOPHY OF LAW
01 5.05-6.20 TR - INSTRUCTOR
400 SPECIAL TOPICS – JUST WAR THEORIES
01 5.45-8.35 M (ONLY) – REIDY - Recent years have seen a rebirth of philosophical reflection, both analytic and normative, on the tradition of just war theory. In this graduate level philosophy course, available also to advanced undergraduates, we will critically assess both the familiar tradition of just war theory and the more important of the recent philosophical treatments of or modifications to it. In addition to the usual topics of justice in, during and after
war, we will also examine topics such as pacifism and conscientious refusal, preventative war, terrorism and war, and international liability for war crimes and unjust aggression. Class meetings will be conducted seminar style, with regular and active student participation. Requirements will include shorter writing assignments and a final term
paper.
420 TOPICS IN ANCIENT OR MEDIEVAL PHILOSOPHY – PLATO
01 2.10-3.25 TR – SHAW - This class focuses on several of Plato's dialogues that offer maximally comprehensive and direct treatments of the question at the core of ancient Greek ethics: how should one live? With that aim in mind, we will read all of Plato's Apology, Protagoras, Gorgias, and Republic, focusing especially on the competing claims of pleasure and virtue to a central role in practical life. Pursuing Plato's treatments of ethical themes will lead us to try to understand his views in politics, psychology, epistemology, and metaphysics as well. Substantial secondary reading will be required, and students will be expected to prepare carefully and participate extensively. Students may fulfill the main writing requirements of the class by writing either three short papers or a single long research paper. Research papers will be expected to attempt a genuine contribution to the scholarly literature.
440 CONTEMPORARY ETHICAL THEORY
01 3.40-4.55 TR – SHEPSKI - This course provides an advanced survey of contemporary ethical theory, focusing on three of the most prominent schools of thought in the secular Western tradition: virtue theory, neo-Kantianism, and consequentialism. We will explore developments of these traditions (primarily through the writings of Rosalind Hursthouse, Christine Korsgaard, and Peter Railton) as well as criticisms of each. The goal of the course is to explore what role, if any, should be played in our ethical thinking by each of the following: developing (and acting on the basis of) sound personal character; conforming our actions to universalizable principles; respecting human dignity; and seeking to maximize goodness of consequences. Time permitting, we may also explore a recent "anti-theoretical" development known as moral particularism. Some prior background in philosophical ethics is helpful; undergraduates without such background are strongly encouraged to enroll in Phil 340 either instead of, or concurrently with, this course.
445 ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
01 9.40-10.55 TR – NOLT – A survey of the philosophical debate on moral responsibility to animals that began with the publication of Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation and Tom Regan’s The Case for Animal Rights. In addition to the moral issues, the course will also deal with the nature of animal consciouness, for which topic the main text will be David Degrazia’s Taking Animals Seriously: Mental Life and Moral Status. Grades will be based on a series of sort papers and a final term paper.
491 FOREIGN STUDY
01, TBA. See Susan Williams in 801 McClung Tower before registering for this course.
492 OFF-CAMPUS STUDY
01, TBA. See Susan Williams in 801 McClung Tower before registering for this course.
493 INDEPENDENT STUDY
01, TBA. See Susan Williams in 801 McClung Tower before registering for this course.